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San Antonio puffy tacos
Fresh masa shells fried until they puff, filled with spiced beef
The puffy taco is San Antonio's own: a ball of fresh corn masa pressed flat and dropped into hot oil, where it puffs into a light, crisp, hollow shell, then shaped into a U and filled with seasoned beef mince, lettuce and tomato. Family-run Tex-Mex restaurants on the West Side have served them since the 1950s, and the city's baseball team even has a puffy taco mascot. Chef's tip: as soon as the dough puffs, press a spatula into the middle to make the fold, before it sets.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ⅛ lb beef mince
- ½ oniondiced
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup water
For the shells
- 9 oz masa harina
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor frying
To serve
- 3 ½ oz shredded lettuce
- 2 tomatodiced
- 2 ⅛ oz grated cheeseopt
- ½ cup salsa
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Brown the 1 ⅛ lb beef mince in the 1 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium-high heat for 8 minutes. Add the ½ onion and 2 cloves garlic for 4 minutes, then the 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt and ½ cup water. Simmer 5 minutes until saucy, the mince fully cooked to 160°F. Keep warm.
17 minStep 2: Mix the 9 oz masa harina, ½ tsp salt and 1 ½ cups warm water into a soft dough like playdough; add a little more water if it cracks at the edges. Divide into 8 balls and keep covered.
6 minStep 3: Heat 4 cm of 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep frying pan to 375°F. Press each ball between two sheets of plastic in a tortilla press or with a heavy pan to 13 cm.
6 minStep 4: Slide a raw tortilla into the oil; it puffs in seconds. Spoon oil over the top and press a metal spatula into the centre to fold it into a U. Fry 1 minute more, turning, until crisp and golden. A common mistake is thick masa, which won't puff.
16 minStep 5: Drain upside down on paper and fill at once with the beef, 3 ½ oz shredded lettuce, 2 tomato, 2 ⅛ oz grated cheese and ½ cup salsa.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does san Antonio puffy tacos take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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